Found You
by SashaSmoke
Summary: Katherine. She was alive. It had been so long since that fateful night when his twin was ripped from his arms when they were only 15. Now here she was, a college student. Hurt stabbed through him like a heated blade. Why hadn't she tried to find him? He thought she was dead.
1. Prologue

**Here is my next story- I've been working on it for a while now, so I'm finally getting it out there. Please review- more will come soon.**

**believe it or not, there are some key changes to this part, if you're reading it for the second time (otherwise, the other chapters might not make much sense) but if this is your first time reading, keep on going and ignore completely my crazy ramblings. god knows that's what everyone else does :P**

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Katherine squealed in delight as her twin threw her on the bed. They were in the middle of an intense 'tickle war'. "Watch out, Sammy! You're next!" She gasped between her giggles. She managed to shove Dean to the ground with a laugh. Sam, who was hiding behind one of the beds, yelped as his sister lunged for him, her fingers tickling his sides.

"No! No!" He squeaked, "Kat please, I can't breathe!" Ignoring him, Katherine continued her torture.

"If you can protest, you can breathe!" She sang out, stifling her own laughter. Dean watched the scuffle from his spot on the floor, a grin across his face. This was his family at the best of times. But it was short lived.

John Winchester was scowling as he strode through the hotel room. Katherine froze mid-tickle. "What's going on here?" John demanded, eyes taking in the scene: Katherine and Sam in a heap on the bed, Dean lying on the floor.

"We were having a tickle-fight, sir" Katherine whispered quietly. "We didn't mean to be so loud." With her eyes downcast and head bowed, she was the image of innocence and remorse. Dean marveled at her skill to change from rambunctious twin to respectful daughter in an instant around their father.

"A tickle-war huh? Well, why wasn't I invited?" John demanded. Then he was twirling Katherine around the room, laughing at her gleeful shrieks. He tossed her onto the adjoining bed. Dean was astounded, never had their father let them have fun, but it wasn't long until John was on him, scooping him up like he weighed nothing. It reminded him of when he and Kat were only four and their mom was still alive. "You too, Dean!"

And suddenly Dean was soaring through the air and on top of his twin, who grunted and promptly dumped his ass back on the floor. He retaliated by dragging her down after him. After more wrestling and yelling, Katherine had Dean in a strong headlock while John and Sam lay gasping on the floor from their laughter.

"Alright, Sam. Time to go. Are you ready?" Sam's smile faded and he frowned and shook his head. The youngest Winchester was not eager for his first hunt.

"Why can't we come to, dad? I'm sure we can help." Katherine asked, releasing a gasping Dean from her hold. Dean nodded in agreement after catching his breath.

"No. Sam has to do this on his own. And don't worry, I'll take good care of him." John said with a grin. Sam's older siblings were extremely protective of their little brother.

"Bye, Sammy! Go kill something for me!" Katherine called out as the door slammed shut. "Alright, first things first: salt the windows and doors." She said with a sigh. It was the first rule of the Winchester household, well after 'don't hurt your brother, Katherine.'

"Hey, you wanna spar? I'm SO bored in this hotel!" Dean groaned about 30 minutes later, his eyes glazed over as he sat in a chair in front of the TV. Katherine smirked at her twin. Dean definitely was one of those fidgety types that would've driven all his teachers crazy.

"I guess, but I don't know why you're so eager to be beaten. You'd think you'd get tired of it after a while." She laughed. He stuck his tongue out at her, although he was smirking too.

"You say that now, but just you wait. Soon you'll be begging for mercy." His confident swagger was adorable. Pointless, but adorable.

She scoffed. "Please. I don't beg."

They got in their ready positions, hands raised. Dean had his strength, but Katherine had her speed. She was far more dedicated then her twin when it came to hand-to-hand. While he chased around anything with a skirt, she would set up a dummy and beat it up until its stuffing covered the ground. She knew Dean like the back of her hand, having trained with him every day since they were five. She knew that he always leaned the opposite way of where he was striking.

Sure enough, Dean leaned ever so slightly to the right before swinging to his left. Katherine blocked it with ease and, seeing his exposed chest, sent a powerful kick. He doubled over, groaning. But she wasn't finished yet. Faking up, she made him raise his arms to defend his face, but instead she swiped his feet out from underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Told you I'd win!" She crowed triumphantly.

"Not yet!" He lunged for her legs, sloppily swiping them from underneath her. But having done gymnastics since she was 3, she gracefully flipped into a back handspring and was back onto her feet.

"Nice try, Deano. But you can't beat m-" She stopped mid-sentence as the door banged open. She felt something prick her arm. Looking down, she pulled out the tranquilizer dart. "Dean." She whispered quietly, holding it up in the light so he could see.

He was on his feet in an instant. They whirled around to face the open door. Three black eyed men, one holding the tranquilizer gun, advanced on the teenagers. Wind blew through the open door, blowing away the salt lines that kept Katherine and Dean safe.

"Get the girl; she's the one we need." barked the one with the gun. Katherine stiffened in fear. Whipping out her gun, she leveled and fired, hitting one of the demons right between the eyes. He screamed in pain as the bullet, consecrated in holy water, burned his flesh. But the drugs were starting to affect the young teen. She started to sag against Dean, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Get the hell away!" Dean roared sloshing holy water around them. But three demons against two kids was hardly a fair fight. As soon as the holy water ran out, the demons pounced like three alley cats on two helpless mice. Dean fought his best, but he was only 15.

The lead demon snatched Katherine's arm and began to drag her away from her twin. "No! Dean!" She slurred, weakly swatting at the demon. . Ignoring her lame attempts at self-protection, the lead demon pulled a large syringe out of his pocket. Kat's eyes widened in fear. Tilting her weak body to the side, he plunged it deep into the back of her neck, plunging all of the scarlet liquid into her veins. She screamed in pain, writhing like a snake in his arms. She squirmed as much as she could, causing the demon to lose his grip on the syringe. It clattered to the floor and rolled underneath one of the beds.

"Damn it!" He yelled, backhanding the Winchester girl. She whimpered, her body shaking badly. Wayward tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Kat!" Dean cried, lunging for her desperately, only to be kicked viciously by one of the demons.

"No!" Wailed Katherine. The last thing she was her twin's emerald eyes -just like her own- before all went black.

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**There it is, but I'm putting the next 3 chapters up soon, so don't give up on me yet!**

**(HA- told you it was different- if only slightly!)**


	2. Chapter 1

here's the next chapter- don't forget to review

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AC/DC blared to life, waking the prone girl tangled in the sheets. "Ughhh." The girl moaned, sounding more like a zombie than a human. "Harriet, can you get that?" She called out from underneath her pillow where she was hiding from the sunbeams streaming through the window.

"I don't know why listen to this." Harriet grumbled as she dragged her body to the singing alarm. "It's so bad."

That woke the girl up. Dark blonde hair was swept aside to reveal a pretty face, brilliant green eyes, and a splash of freckles. Except that it was wearing a scowl. "Harriet Carter, you take that back! AC/DC is the best!" She frowned, crossing her arms to make her point.

"Okay, Emma Williams! AC/DC is…. not repulsive." After thinking it over, Emma nodded, accepting the statement.

"That's more like it! Now come on, or we'll be late for Psychology and you know how pissed Mrs. Fielding will get if we are."

All she got was a grunt. After a second, Harriet muttered, "Except that she adores you." Even though it was barely a whisper, Emma still turned, now fully dressed in faded jeans, a white tank top, and a purple flannel shirt over it, with a frown.

"She does not adore me." Harriet's head snapped up, face full of shock.

"How did you even hear that? Jeez, Em you have superhero hearing."

"Ears of a Hunter!" Emma blurted out without thinking. Her brow crinkled in confusion. Where had 'hunter' come from? Harriet had already moved on, missing the look on her best friends face.

"When you're not working out or playing sports, you're in her room. Studying, doing homework, or just talking to her. You practically live there! Should I worry about you replacing me as a best friend?" Harriet joked, mock suspicion on her pretty face.

Emma grinned, her slip-up forgotten. "Ha-ha. We've got a real comedian here." She said dryly. "She's like a mom to me. I love her. You would too if you gave her a chance." Harriet wrinkled her nose.

"Meh, I guess so. But unlike you, I actually want a social life at college." Emma snorted, rolling her eyes as she pulled on her sturdy black boots."So you'll go to Titanium with me?" Harriet asked, hazel eyes full of hope.

Emma wrinkled her nose, copying her best friend. "A night club? But finals are in two weeks. We should probably…" She caught the look on Harriet's face. "blow it off and get horribly drunk."

"You mean I get horribly drunk. You can hold your alcohol better than anybody I know." Emma smirked, shrugging on her gray backpack.


	3. Chapter 2

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review! I'm not sure if this is any good... so let me know!

READ THIS: just to let everybody know so no one's confused... When it's in Katherine's POV(3rd person), her name is Emma- because that's who she thinks she is. But when it's in Dean's, she's Katherine. Emma and Katherine = SAME PERSON

You get it? Good. Now, read.

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Dean Winchester shot back another whiskey, letting the amber liquid slowly burn down his throat and into his gut. It hadn't been a good day. The hunt had been bad, they'd lost two people to a werewolf, who happened to be a young kid they had to execute. But while this whole thing was happening, Sam kept bitching to Dad about keeping stuff from them. Their father had obviously blown up on the youngest Winchester. Ergo the drinking.

He gave his waitress a sultry smirk as she refilled his glass. As his eyes slid down her curves, a flash of dark blonde hair caught his gaze.

Two women were wandering through the pulsating crowd, laughing and yelling to be heard over the loud music. One had honey blonde hair to her shoulders. She was facing him. She had blue eyes and a sweet smile. But his eyes were glued to the other one.

The way she moved through the crowd tugged at his memory. She weaved through the grinding college students like a fish through water. She moved like a Hunter. When she finally turned his heart stopped. He knew that face- he'd never, ever forget the face of the one person who always had his back. But how…

She was tanner than he remembered, but she still had that splash of freckles across her nose, just like he did. Her emerald green eyes twinkled as she laughed with her friend. She had long caramel hair fishtailed 'till it reached her butt. He frowned. The girl he knew liked to keep her hair short, making it 'prime hunting hair'.

Katherine. She was alive. It had been so long since that fateful night when his twin was ripped from his arms when they were only 15. Now here she was, a college student. Hurt stabbed through him like a heated blade. Why hadn't she tried to find him? He thought she was dead.

His eyes followed the pair, thoughts of getting laid gone from his mind, as they made their way towards the bar he was slouching at. He arranged himself so he could still see them without being too open about it. He heard bits and pieces of their conversation as they passed.

"You know, you never told me about your past. We're best friends and roommates. How did this happen?" The blonde one asked, incredulous. Dean snorted, this should be good. His gaze returned to his twin, expecting a guilt-ridden sibling. Instead, she looked confused. This didn't really surprise him. She'd always been good at hiding her real emotions.

"When I woke up in the hospital six years ago, I just remembered my name. The doctors said it was probably trauma that was suppressing my memory because I was in real bad shape when the police found me." Dean's hand clenched the glass tightly as he listened. "So they put me in the foster system. It's all they could do 'cause no one clammed me."

Dean felt his heart constrict as if a boa was wrapped around it. What the hell happened to her?


	4. Chapter 3

I'm sorry, but this a really short one- I have a butt-load of tests to study for :P But I'll put ch4 up too ;)

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"Hey" Harriet slurred as she leaned in "look at that hot guy." She was definitely tipsy. Emma swiveled her gaze around the crowded club until they landed on the guy Harriet was talking about.

He was about a few inches taller than her with dark blonde hair that was spiked up in the front. He had a worn face and deep green eyes that had seen too much. The sight of his hunched shoulders yanked on her heartstrings. He was attractive, but the way she was drawn to him wasn't like that. She felt an uncontrollable desire to take the load off his shoulders and help him. She desperately wanted him to give her that crooked smirk she knew he had. He seemed so familiar…

"How do I looook?" Harriet drunkenly asked. She was 'fixing' her hair with shaking hands. It had the opposite effect. Without looking, Emma reached over and smoothed out the strands that were sticking up like a bird's plume. What are best friends for?

"I think we should call it quits, you're trashed." Emma had had just the same amount of beer, not to mention a few shots of tequila, but she still felt fine.

"Come on Em, don't be a sssspoil ssssport!" After a hard look, "Fine, but I want hisss number firssst." She slurred the 's' in her sentences like a serpent.

"Alright, but I'm coming with you. We have finals soon and I don't want you being whisked away and used shamelessly." Harriet nodded, but she was mainly focused on getting off her stool and stumble her way towards her prey. Emma couldn't help but smile at her best friend's antics. She followed along behind her wobbling companion, ready to catch her if she ever tripped- which was quite likely since she was incredibly drunk. How did she even get this drunk this fast? Was that even possible? All her musings vanished when finally reached the guy; Emma got to see his full-on.

White noise filled her ears, louder than a hornet's nest. Their lips moved, but the static in her mind overpowered any other sound. His face; she knew his face. Her head pounded, they were saying something, but she didn't move; her feet were glued in place to the floor, her face slack in shock. How did she know him?

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Don't worry, I'll crank out a few more soon! (and beef this little sucker up)


	5. Chapter 4

As promised: chapter 4

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"Heyyy" a deep, sexy voice greeted. Dean slowly turned on his bar stool, knowing who it was. The blonde who'd come in with Kat teetered before him. He gave her his best smile, showing off his trademarks 'Winchester dimples'. But his heart wasn't into it.

She was hot, no doubt about it. Long legs led up to a slim waist, following a perfect hourglass figure to a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Her hair looked soft, practically begging him to tangle his fingers in it. His hands twitched with the desire to yank her onto his lap. If it wasn't for the girl behind the blonde, he probably would've dropped a few one-liners and taken her to a hotel room.

Kat was looking at him- he could practically see the gears turning frantically in her mind trying to recognize him. He nodded in greeting, not sure what to say. The blonde's unfocused gaze slid down his body, practically undressing him right then and there. In any other case, this would've thrilled him, but he just felt uncomfortable.

"You're sexy." She blurts. "I mean, realllly sssssexy. I just wanna-"

"What she actually means is that she wants to introduce herself." Kat stepped in, putting a supportive arm around her friend's waist. But her body language was clear: touch her and you lose your manly parts. He winced at the thought: Kat had a _very_ strong kick. "This is Harriet, and I'm Emma. Please forgive her eagerness, she's had way too much to drink."

Harriet gave her a petulant look. "I've had just as much as you have." She whined, swaying slightly.

"I told you, you can never drink more than I can. Beside, you're a lightweight. You have three beers and you're a mess!" Dean couldn't help but smile. She'd told him the same thing over and over again, but he'd never listened; nothing had changed.

"I'm Dean. Do you know why this place is so crowded?" Kat gave him a friendly smile; it felt more like a punch to the gut.

"These are all college kids from Stanford; both of us go there. It's the weekend, so we're all blowing off some steam." She gave her friend a look. "Some of us a little too much steam." Her friend simply stuck out her tongue. With a roll of her eyes- something she only reserved for her brothers- she turned back to Dean. It hurt to see her use the 'sibling look' on this complete stranger.

"Wow, Stanford. Guess you're pretty smart then. What are you studying?"

She smiled again, her eyes lighting up. "A major in Psychology and a minor Dead Languages and Myths/Legends- like demons and monsters, things like that." He couldn't help but smile at the irony.

"So what are you doing here?" It was so good to hear her voice again. Too bad it was the one question her couldn't truly answer.

"Business." Was his short reply. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. Kat gestured for him to continue. "Well, I'm just here to get a break, actually." Damn. He didn't mean for that to slip out. Kat could always get him to talk.

"She cocked her head, studying him. She turned to her drunk friend, whispering something into her ear. The girl… what was her name? Harriet! Harriet nodded and stumbled back to her table.

Kat slid onto the stool beside him with that boneless grace a dancer would be jealous of. "Sorry about that." She nodded, letting him know she was listening.

He didn't even hesitate. It was so nice to talk to his twin again, even if she didn't remember him. A flash of pain shot through him. He missed her so damn much. How was he gonna get her back?

"Well, my dad and brother have always had a tough relationship but they always managed to get along when it came to my sister." He chuckled at the memory. "She somehow managed to get them to forgive each other whenever it got bad." His face grew somber. "But then she vanished and things fell apart."

"My mom died when I was five and that hardened my father. but her adored my sister. She used it to her advantage." he said with a laugh. "When she disappeared, it tore him up real bad. He became cold and reclusive. That obviously spurned my idiot brother to push him even more."

"And you're the one that stands in the middle and ends up ripped to shreds." She said quietly, a frown on her face.

He nodded, trying to keep his emotions in check. "I just got tired of playing referee, so I came here."

She watched him for a time before asking quietly "How bad do the fights get?" Her eyes held no judgement, just compassion. Dean's own eyes welled at the sight. It had been so long since anyone had shown him compassion.

"Usually, it isn't that bad but tonight... they just... exploded. they've been fighting, and it's been bad, but... tonight they just went for the jugular. Some of the things they said... I wish they'd just stop, you know? Isn't our family screw up enough as it is?" He asked in a broken voice.

Without hesitation, Kat pulled him into a tight hug. He rested his forehead on her shoulder; he could always be open with his twin. "I know it seems rough and that it'll get better, but you're family. Family is always there for each other, no matter what." She gave Dean a confident smile. "One thing you should do though is knock some sense into them. " He looked at her, open-mouthed. "Or at least talk to them. I mean, it's not fair for you to have to watch your family be ripped apart." Dean smirked. Even when she had amnesia, Kat still had his back.

Kat gave Harriet a concerned look; she was wobbling while sitting down. "I gotta go, she's gonna have a bitch headache when she wakes up. Bye Dean, I hope things work out between your dad and brother."

She gave him a kind smile, slipped off the stool, grabbed her smashed friend and disappeared from Dean's world. Again.

Dean sprinted to his beloved Impala, twisting the keys, sending her roaring to life. He couldn't help but smile at the sound. Damn, his car was awesome. It was pretty quiet when he pulled up at the motel his family was staying at. Definitely different from what was going on before he stormed out to get drunk.

Unlocking the door, he surveyed the damage. A few broken lamps, cuff marks on the floor, and dents in the wall. No bad for the level of tension and hostility going through this room not three hours ago. Twin lumps were in each bed, facing away from each other. Great. Now they're giving each other the silent treatment; are we back in preschool?

With an eye roll, Dean marched over to the considerably longer lump and slapped it. Hard. "Hey" came the sleepy, indignant reply. Sam roused himself enough to give his older brother a half-hearted smack. "Jerk" he grumbled, covering his head with the covers.

"Bitch." Dean shot back, yanking the quilt back. "I'd hate to interrupt your beauty sleep, Samantha, but I've got some big news." He let the bait sit for a time. Any second now…

"Is it a new hunt?" Sam mumbled. Gotcha. Dean smirked; he could play his brother like a violin sometimes.

"It's about Katherine." Dean whispered, not wanting to wake his slumbering father. His little brother sat up, now 67% awake at the mention of his lost sister's name. That name was _never_ spoken in his family. Hardly ever from his dad - never from Dean. Sam's eyes blew wide, then filled with sadness and pity.

"No way, I'm sorry Dean, but she got stolen by demons. That's never a good thing and they never leave survivors." Dean curled his hands into fists, rage boiling in his gut.

"I think I'd know my own twin when I see her, Sam." He growled. "Now, are you in or out?"

Sam studied his older brother's hard expression and did a double take when he saw something different in Dean's eyes. Dean's green orbs had a spark in them - one he hadn't seen since their sister was dragged away from them all those years ago. "Alright." He agreed. "Now let me go back to sleep." Sam groaned, falling back down on the bed.

Dean chuckled and flopped on the couch, but he knew he wasn't gonna get any sleep tonight. She was _alive_. But how was he gonna get her back?

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There's my little tid-bit. Poor Dean! (don't worry, things get better for him)


	6. Chapter 5

Next leg: here we go! (don't forget to review)

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"Whaaat were you sssaying to the hotiee?" Harriet slurred into Emma's ear as she half guided/half dragged her back to their room.

Emma winced; her breath smelled like death. "We were just talking about how cute you looked tonight in those new boots you got." She felt bad lying to her best friend, but Emma knew what Dean had told was beyond private. And anyways, lying came easily to her, like it was second nature. Not to mention that she was good at it too. What kind of person did that make her?

"Reallyyy? That'ss ssso nicce!" Emma winced again- her voice was also super loud.

"Okay, bedtime soldier. You're gonna hate me… and you when you wake up." Emma said as she opened their door. All she got in return was a grunt that would make a caveman proud. Grumbling, Emma went to work, stripping her friend down and shoving her into the shower- she really stank.

After Harriet was passed out in bed, Emma plopped down in a chair to ponder about Dean. She felt so comfortable around him, so at ease. But it wasn't like she felt attracted to him, but there was definitely a connection. But the dam kept everything clogged up in her head. With a groan, Emma flopped onto her bed and quickly lost consciousness.

Emma's favorite band, Led Zeppelin, jarred her awake. Reaching blindly, she shut off the song. She'd been dreaming of a man, one with tousled brown hair and electric blue eyes. He'd looked at her with such adoration. Just as their lips touched, she'd woken. Emma could practically taste his name on her tongue, but her memory wouldn't bring it to the surface.

Frustrated with herself, she launched out of bed, still in her clothes from the night before. Sighting, she faced a more important problem: Harriet.

She was sprawled, full-out on her bed, mouth open slightly and snoring softly. But that peaceful expression wouldn't last long. As quietly as she could, Emma hopped into the shower, letting the hot water beat out her tensed shoulders; it felt heavenly.

Closing the door quietly behind her, Emma hoped that the glass of water and bottle of Aspirin would help her best friend's hellish headache.

Joining the cross country team had been one of Emma's best decisions. She loved running; it cleared her head and gave her a sense of clarity. Her pounding feet drummed quietly along the abandoned neighborhood. Nobody was awake since it was six in the morning. Emma cherished the silence of the air, the peaceful atmosphere was her tonic for all her problems. And right now she had a butt-load amount.

How did she know Dean? Did it have something to do with her missing childhood? Why did she feel so at ease with him? With a groan, she leapt into a full-out sprint for a block, physically battering down each gnawing question with her pumping legs and heavy breathing.

It was well after nine when she felt satisfied with her run; her stamina amazed everyone, including her. Her excuse was that she must've trained long-hours since she was young, the Olympics maybe? But her memory was being dammed up as if little brain beavers had built it while she was asleep. Damn those beavers!

The main square of the college was swarmed as always. Emma expertly weaved through the throng, practice for her next soccer game on her mind.

She didn't recognize him at once, his average outline and size blending easily with every other guy on campus. But something slipped through the dam, pulling some distorted memory to the surface of her mind.

"_Daddy, can I try it on?" The little girl asked, forest green eyes pleading. Laughing, the man with dark brown hair and eyes slid off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her small frame as a beautiful woman with long blonde hair held up a Polaroid camera. The sleeves dragged along behind her like little attendees while she scampered through the house, squealing like a maniac…_

Emma shook her head, frowning. Where had that come from? But when she saw the leather jacket, her feet propelled her forward, but she felt like she was floating above the ground in a dream-like state. Two guys had their backs to her, heads bent as they studied a map of the college. She picked up their conversation as she neared.

"Are you sure she didn't say what house or dorm she was staying at?" The taller one asked. He had shaggy brown hair that swooshed across his forehead and had to hunch his shoulders slightly to be level with the other guy.

"Yes, I'm sure. What do you want me to do, Sam? It wasn't like I could just ask her where she was living. I was still in shock that she was actually in front of me." Emma recognized the voice instantly.

"Dean?" She questioned, even though she knew it was him. They stiffened in unison, slowly turning to face her. The taller one's eyes widened in surprise. Tears welled in their chocolate depths, causing alarm to shine in Emma's emerald ones.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, and she started at the sudden desire that shot through her to comfort him, to make him feel better. A protective, motherly feeling.

"Umm, yeah. I've got allergies." He muttered, wiping at his eyes. "they must've flared up." She nodded, turning back to Dean, not believing a word he just said. But that was his business.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked, not accusing, simply curious. The two men exchanged a look.

"I wanted you to meet my brother. Sam, this is Emma, the girl I told you about." He green gaze slid to Sam, studying him. He twitched nervously under her penetrating look.

He obviously wanted the best for his brother, he cared about him... but also for himself. He fought for his future but was unaware what his older brother had given up to help him. But he was painfully oblivious to what his fights with their dad did to Dean. Emma quietly absorbed this information before giving him a 100 watt smile. Sam sighed in relief; he must've passed her examination.

"Hey, nice to meet you. Are you here to check out Stanford as a freshman?" He looked about 18 to her. "We got a lot to offer here, and you look like a bright kid." Somehow, she felt pride course through him, like she knew he was smart. He nodded, smiling brightly. "If you'd like, I could show you around." She offered, friendly smile back in place.

The brothers nodded eagerly and followed her as she led them through the throng.

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There you go. Sorry for the mini 'hate-on-sam' moment, but sometimes he's such a selfish butt! but we love him anyway.


	7. Chapter 6

I'm sorry this is taking so long, I've been really busy. But here's chapter six. Thank you for your patience!

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As soon as Katherine turned towards the main building, Dean mouthed 'told you so' to his younger brother. He knew better than to say it out loud. No matter how quiet he thought he was, she always heard him.

It still shocked him, seeing his twin alive and well. He had to fight the urge to not sweep her up in his arms and never let her go.

She talked about the college and it's benefits and boring stuff like that, but Dean wasn't really paying attention; there were a bunch of hot babes lounging around campus. And Stanford had no dress code whatsoever. Maybe he was over looking the benefits of a higher education. Sam seemed very into college, which concerned his older brother. What if Sam quit hunting and got an apple pie life at college? Dean didn't think he would survive if both his siblings were gone.

The main problem though was Kat's memory. How could he fix it? If he told her the truth, how they were twins and hunted the supernatural together, she'd think he was crazy. No there had to be another way.

"If you want, you guys could sit in my Myths and Legends class. Right now we're learning about angels and stuff like that." Sam nodded, so Dean had to go- there was no way hell he was leaving his little brother alone.

"Do you mind if Dean and Sam Winchester listen in? They're visiting colleges." Kat asked the teacher when they entered the surprisingly full class.

Dean's heart stuttered. He'd never told Kat what his and Sam's last name was. Sam gave his brother a hopeful puppy look. Dean forced his face to remain neutral. It would hurt too much if it was only fluke.

The teacher nodded and continued to write on the whiteboard, the marker squeaking like a mouse in pain.

Giving him another encouraging smile, Kat slid into one of the chairs that were raised, angling toward the teacher. As Dean sat beside her, he couldn't help but thank god that he'd never become a teacher. The chairs looked opposing, like he was apart of a jury condemning some poor soul.

"Does anyone know the different names of Lucifer?" He asked, peering over his thin-wired glasses. Silence. Slowly, Katherine raised her hand, looking embarrassed. "Yes, Miss Williams?" He almost looked relieved.

"He has many names like Satan, Falling Star, Father of lies, devil, deceiver, dragon, and the beast. I know there's more, but…" she trailed off.

He nodded approvingly. "Nice work, Miss Williams. At least someone did the reading." He said giving the other students an intense look. All the other students slouched in their seats, ashamed.

Dean and Sam exchanged surprised looks. Kat did the reading? Kat was pulling a Hermione Granger?" She was as bad as Dean, if not worse, about doing homework. She'd rather be out drinking and dancing. This was the opposite of who Kat was. It felt like a stab to the gut to the Winchester brothers. Just another difference between their sister and this look-a-like.

The teacher droned on, and soon enough Dean had lost himself in a boredom-induced stupor. But the beautiful trills of the bell snapped him out of his daze as the college kids collected their open notebooks and waltzed out of class.

"Way to doze off, Dean!" His little brother hissed disapprovingly. Dean shrugged shamelessly.

"The guy's voice was as dry as the Sahara, so it wasn't all my fault. Seriously, you have to admit that even YOU were bored." Sam simply rolled his eyes.

"Hey boys, quiet bickering and come on!" Their sister called out from the bottom of the stairs, giving them an annoyed look. It felt like they were on a hunt, arguing about which monster it was until Kat glared at them, instantly shutting them up. It felt so familiar, but then she turned away and the moment ended.

Sam gave his brother a crestfallen look. Dean concealed his own pain under a reassuring smile. It was fake. Unlike Kat, Sam couldn't tell the difference between false Dean and actual Dean. Sometimes, Dean thanked his lucky stars for this fact. But other times, like now, he wished someone would call him out on his bullshit and comfort him about his true emotions.

When they reached Kat, she was frowning at her journal. "What the heck? What does this even mean?" Curious, both brothers peered over her shoulders. What they saw shocked them to their cores. Marching across the lines in Kat's neat script were the words:

'Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas. Omnis incursio inferniis adversarii, omnis hegio, omnis congregato et secta diaboiica. Ergo, draco maiedicte. Ecciisiam tuam secri tibi facias iibertate servire, te rogamus.'

They froze, surprised looks marring their faces. It was an incantation for exorcism. One every Winchester had to memorize. Could it be that…

"Do you know what it means?" She questioned, studying their astonished faces.

"It's umm," Dean stammered, wracking his brain for a believable lie. "A Greek poem, I think." Sam shot him an incredulous look. Dean raised his shoulders a fraction as if to say 'It was all I could think of.'

"Greek? Are you sure? We haven't even started Greek yet in my Dead Languages class. I don't even remember writing it down. Hell, I don't even speak it!" After a beat, she shrugged. "Whatever, I'm sure it's nothing. It's probably from a late night study session that I forgot about." Dean's eyes narrowed as soon as she turned. Her shoulders were too tense for indifference. She knew he'd been lying. But why hadn't she said anything?

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There you go. I'm just gonna warn you up-front: the next chapter might take a while. It's the big reveal of who Emma REALLY is. Thank you for reading/reviewing!


	8. Chapter 8

**so**, **so sorry this took me so long, but I've just had so much shit going on in my life right now. Plus, I'm just lazy ;)**

**but anywho, here we go!**

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Emma ran her fingers through her long hair. She'd always loved it long, but suddenly she hated it with a burning passion. It was heavy and hot and hard to manage.

"_Ugh, it's too long!" A girl groaned, flopping down on a bed. "Please, can you just cut it?" She begged. A boy, the same age as her- almost her exact copy - gave her a doubtful look. _

"_Dad won't like it." He started, but she cut him off._

"_Boo-hoo. Dad doesn't have to it hanging around his shoulders in 90 degree weather. Just do it, please? I'll tell him I did it by myself, if you're too chicken to admit that you helped." She grinned as she tossed him a large hunting knife, the silver blade winking in the light. He caught it with the same ease she had tossed it at him._

_Sighing, the boy took handfuls of her caramel locks and sliced right above her shoulders. When he was done and they had swept up the evidence, she went to the bathroom to check. It was choppy and uneven, but her neck could feel the breeze. With great trepidation of the next morning, she snuggled in one of the two beds with the boy, their arms wrapped around each other._

_When she woke up, a man with brown hair and eyes tossed her a purple bandana, muttering, "It looks good."_

"Hello? Earth to Emma- are you in there?"

Emma shook her head, confused by the images playing in her head. "Huh?"

"Good, I thought you went brain-dead for a second there. Thank you SO much for the Aspirin - I felt like the seven dwarfs were mining in my skull." Harriet's gaze slid past Emma. "Oh my god! You're the… I am… help." She whispered to her best friend.

"Sam, this is Harriet - my best friend and roommate." She gave him the same look she gave Dean, the one that said OFF LIMITS. "Sam is Dean's younger brother. Do you remember Harriet?" She gave Dean a look, praying that he'd understand.

He stuck out his hand. "I would remember someone as beautiful as you, I'm Dean." He said with an apologetic smile. Emma and Sam's eyes rolled at the same time.

Harriet almost wept with relief. She took his hand, giving it a gentle shake, smiling coyly. "It's alright, I don't mind. Are you showing them around?" Emma nodded uneasily, recognizing the conniving look in her best friend's eye. "Well then you should come with us to the Keller's party tonight. Just about everyone will be there."

"Harry, remember last time we went out? Didn't end well. Besides, finals are coming up and I have butt-loads of latin roots to memorize!" Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw the brother's exchange a look. They did that a lot.

"Come on, Em! Please? We need to show them what a Stanford party's like! It's our duty to!" She fluttered her eyelashes shamelessly.

With an eyeroll, Emma caved. "Fine! Fine! You win, you sneaky thing you! Damn your puppy-dog eyes." With a good natured laugh, she pushed her best friend gently out the door.

"So, which one do you want?" Harriet whispered conspiratorially.

"What?"

"Which brother? You get first pick since you kinda know them." She continued, missing her friend's disgusting face. "I'm easy about either one - they're both delicious." She licked her lips, baby blue eyes twinkling with lusty thoughts.

"Ew!" was the first thing that popped out of Emma's mouth. Just the thought of kissing either of the Winchester brothers made her want to puke. It wasn't like she was blind - both of them were drool worthy, their muscles clearly defined underneath their clothes… but it grossed her out. "You can have both; I've got bigger fish to fry."

"Oh, thank you! A threesome would would be pretty hot… wait - you like someone else? Why didn't you tell me? That's what best friends for, dammit!" She joked, fake hurt flashing in her eyes.

"Yeah right, I 'like' someone!" Emma said sarcastically, but a face with dark brown hair and electric blue eyes popped in her mind. "I meant finals. You know - the whole reason we're at college: to learn?" Harriet rolled her eyes, already bored with the conversation topic. They'd had it before.

"You're such a prude! But I love you anyways! Come on, let's show the hotties how to have a good time: Stanford style!" They linked arms, giggling like maniacs.

After a few more boring classes, Emma found herself back in her dorm room, watching with growing amusement and annoyance as her best friend flew around the room, throwing clothes this way and that. "Gahhh!" Harriet called out, making her second circuit around, clothes flying past in her wake. "I don't know what to wear! How can this happen? I _always_ know what to wear!" She flopped to the cluttered floor with a defeated sigh. "I'm doomed."

"Now that you're done trashing our room," Emma ignored Harriet's glare, "could we go now? We don't want to leave the boys waiting - they might get snapped up without us there." That caught Harriet's attention.

"That bitch Lynn better not… ugh - what am I thinking? I can't go out like this!" She gestured to the black mini skirt and pale blue blouse she wore. She'd kicked off her black four inch heels somewhere during her frantic search for the 'perfect outfit.'

"Why not?" Emma never understood the need to change clothes twice in one day. It was simply impractical to get more than one set of clothes dirty to quickly. No, if there had been blood on them, than she would've understood. Emma shook her head for what felt like the thousandth time that day. What was happening to her? Blood?

Harriet missed the whole thing, completely wrapped up in her wardrobe troubles. "Because than I'll look so… normal."

Normal. That word was important to someone. Someone she knew and loved and would die for. Bue who…

"Are you honestly wearing that?" Harriet's question brought Emma out of her head. She looked down at herself. Black boots (as always), black leather pants, and a tight gray henley shirt. Her hair was french braided down her back and the only piece of her past, a charm bracelet, was around her wrist. People always frowned when they noticed how strange the charms were. A pentagram, a cross, an egyptian ankh, another egyptian symbol: an eye, the star of david, and another symbol that Emma didn't know. It seemed to be a jumble of different religions. Emma herself wasn't religious, but maybe her past self was. She didn't really care. Wearing it somehow made her feel safe. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"You look like you're gonna go take someone out - and not in the dating sense." Harriet said with a frown. Obviously, she wanted Emma to put on some flowery dress; Emma would rather have her entrails eaten by wild animals.

"Always be prepared." Slipped from Emma's lips without her bidding. At Harriet's look, Emma tried to explain herself - even though she herself didn't know what was going on. "I meant, I gotta be prepared in case some dick tries anything. It's not like I can run in heels and a tight skirt." Or kick his ass, she thought. Again - where had that come from? She wasn't a violent person and never got angry easily, but here she was, thinking about beating someone up. It didn't make any sense…

"That's a good point…. what if I wore this…" Harriet trailed off, digging through the piles of clothes on the floor. But "No, that'll never work" soon followed after.

Losing her patience, Emma strode over to her best friend's trashed closet and grabbed two pieces of clothing at random. "Here. Wear this." She said, shoving them in Harriet's face.

Her eyes grew round. "That's - that's PERFECT! How'd you do that?" She snatched the flowy short white skirt from Emma.

"It's a gift." Emma replied, not mentioning the fact that she'd just picked what was on top. "Does this mean we can go now?" Emma wasn't ashamed to admit that she whined for a second there.

"Yep. Let's go astonish the boys with out hotness!" Harried crowed, making Emma laugh.

Through some miracle - even though Emma didn't believe in that crap - they weren't too late to the party. The Keller's house (mansion) flashed in the many strobe lights. Music blared, even from down the street. If the Keller's weren't so damn rich, Emma was sure someone would've called the cops.

Harriet glided through the open door, a predator in the wild. She talked through the throng, seeing out the Winchester boys.

Something tugged at Emma's gut. Not sure what she was doing, she led them to the bar, where, sure enough, Dean and Sam were waiting. It was like Emma had some honing device in her brain that led her right to them. A gaggle of giggling college girls flocked around them, simpering like morons. Sam seemed uncomfortable with the females groping at his muscles and flirting shamelessly, but Dean was enjoying himself. Until he saw Emma and Harriet.

His whole face lit up and he brushed past all the girls until he'd reached them, Sam at his heels. Their fan club sighed in defeat at the sight of Emma and Harriet; Harriet gave them a smirk.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Emma laughed, her voice teasing.

"Dean here loves easy college girls!" Sam piped up, face flushed. Clearly, they'd already already started drinking. "Except that they can never get him drunk - even if they do, he's as fresh as a daisy the next day!" He shouted to be heard over the loud music.

"Just like Em here! She always end up dragging me home even if we've had the exact same amount to drink." Harriet clapped a hand on Emma's back.

"That's cause you're a friggen lightweight." Dean and Emma said in perfect unison. Dean's eyes widened, full of - was that nostalgia?

"Wow. Neat trick." Harriet gasped, her eyes sliding over to Sam like he was a piece of prime rib.

Emma kept her gaze locked on the oldest Winchester. Something was bugging him, she could tell. The so-called 'happy' set to his shoulders was too tense to be genuine, and every smile was forced. "Do you wanna talk?" Emma asked just as Harriet asked Sam, "You wanna dance?"

Dean nodded, which took Emma by surprise. Sam seemed a little more hesitant, but it was too late since Harriet had already dragged him to the dancefloor and was grinding on him harder than Emma had ever seen her go for a guy.

"Wow. She must really want him tonight. But don't worry, she's completely harmless. She'll get stupid drunk and have no idea what she's doing." Emma reassured, something telling her than Dean didn't like leaving his little brother alone anywhere. She led them to a table facing the door, as was her habit all the time. She just always felt like she shouldn't have her back turned to the entrance in case something happened. "So, is something bugging you?"

Dean shrugged, cradling his half drunken beer in his hands. Emma snatched one from some freshman as they passed, ignoring their protests. Dean smirked at her antics. Harriet would've reprimanded her for being so rude to the little freshman. Emma didn't give a crap.

"Well, if you're not gonna talk, then drink." She offered her bottle in a toast. With a small smile, Dean clinked bottles before taking a mighty swig. The amber liquid slid down Emma's throat with hardly any burn. She'd become immune to the effects of a simple beer. After they'd finished their first beers, Emma said "Let's get something a bit stronger, huh?" She returned with several shot glasses and a bottle of tequila. Dean grinned.

"Where's Sam?" Dean shouted - Emma noticed that when he got tipsy, he got loud. She giggled slightly.

"Probably mating with Harry- let's go find them. God knows what condition they're in." Emma savored the last shot of tequila on the table. She was buzzed now, she could feel it. "Come on." She dragged a wobbly Dean from their table, beer bottles rolling away in their wake.

"You know, Kat, we should really tell dad that you're okay." Dean stage whispered as she led him towards where she'd seen Sam and Harriet last.

"Kat? Who's Kat? I'm Emma, remember?" She said with a laugh, not looking at him as she searched for their two lightweights.

"Oh yeah, you're memory. We gotta find a way to fix that. Otherwise, you'll never believe me when I tell you about what I do for a living." Dean sounded both sad and happy, on odd mixture.

"Dean, what are you talking about? Wait, do you know something about my past?" Emma demanded, whirling around to face him. He mimed pulling a zipper across his mouth. She rolled her eyes in frustration. "Remind me to never let you get this drunk, you're annoying." Emma muttered, finally spotting Sam and Harriet.

He was slumped in a chair while she straddled him, practically doing him then and there. They kissed sloppily, all drool and tongue and gross-ness. Emma wrinkled her nose. "Come on Sammy, let Harry go so she can go sleep this off."

Sam froze like she'd zapped him with a taser. "You- you called meee Sammyyyyy!" He yelled in joy, pushing Harriet of him and stumbling towards her.

"Um, yeah I did. Dude, get your octopus arms off me! I gotta take Harry home." But that only seemed to make Sam wanna hug her tighter.

"Thisss is sooo greeaat!" He slurred in her ear. Sam was definitely a happy drunk. She could hear Harriet groaning from the floor. This was bad. She had three drunk people and somehow they all had to go home safely.

"Look, I don't know what you guys are talking about, but I seriously have to take Harry home. You guys wait here until I come back, okay? There is no way that Dean can drive like this." Emma looked over her shoulder to see the oldest Winchester nodding sagely, like it was all his idea.

"Driving my Baby while drunk is never happening." He grumbled, settling into a chair to wait until he either got sober or for Emma to get back.

"Alright." Emma sighed, dragging Harriet up by her armpits. Harriet grumbled some but didn't fight back. Maybe she was just upset that Sam dumped her, literally, and not totally wasted. "Let's go, party girl. By Dean, bye Sammy! Hopefully I'll be back!" She called over her shoulder, missing completely the looks of longing the Winchester brothers shot her.

"Are we going back to the dorm?" Harriet groaned as they stumbled along, Emma's arm wrapped firmly around Harriet's waist. Emma managed a grunt, to focused on keeping them from wiping out onto the concrete.

"Come on, let's take the shortcut through the park." Emma guided them down the path, feeling a lot like a sheepdog attempting to herd a slightly drunk sheep. The grass was wet from the dew and Harriet whined about her feet getting cold. "Ha - who's paying for not wearing boots no, huh?" Emma laughed, letting Harriet rest on a stone bench. The stars shone out, bright against the inky sky. Emma basked in the light of the moon.

"Katherine Winchester." A monotone voice called out. Emma turned towards the sound, recognizing it as the same name Dean called her when he was drunk. "I have been searching for you." He said, eyes warm and happy. Emma's blood ran cold. It was the man from her dreams, his electric blue gaze freezing her in place. His dark brown hair curled slightly in his brilliant eyes, and his arm reached out for her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. My name's Emma, not Katherine." Emma said, taking a cautious step back. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell the random stranger her name, but she was confused, and slightly buzzed.

"Of course, your memories. Let me help you." Before Emma could protest, the stranger was in front of her, hand reaching towards her forehead. She heard Harriet scream, then everything went black.

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**ta-da! there you go! (I know promised to fix Katherine by this point, but I delayed it one more chapter. sorry!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**since this one was so short (i needed a segue) i'm posting it on the same day. enjoy! **

**BEWARE: very short!**

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Harriet stumbled frantically towards the Keller's house, tears running down her cheeks. Why hadn't she brought her phone? Why had she worn these stupid shoes? Why hadn't she listened to Emma. Oh god, Emma! Sprinting as fast as she could, she shoved her way through the crowd, eyes scanning foreign faces, searching desperately for -

"Sam! Dean! Please, you gotta help!" She called out, running straight into Sam and bouncing off his hard chest. They looked at her in alarm, taking in her tears and gasping breaths. She didn't even wanna think about what she looked like right now.

"Harriet? What's wrong where's Ka- where's Emma?" Dean seemed to have sobered up and was looking at her intensely, worry creasing his brow.

"We- we took the shortcut through the park and I was taking a break when this random guy just showed up out of nowhere and started calling Em 'Katherine' and saying that he'd been looking for her. Then he touched her forehead, and and she - she just went limp in his arms!" Harriet wailed. "I ran for h-help, but I don't know what he did to her." She started to dissolve into violent sobs.

Sam took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Breathe Harriet, just breathe. Can you show us where you guys went?" Harriet nodded tearfully and led the way out of the house and down the street towards the park.

Dean's mind reeled. He _knew_ he shouldn't have let Kat go off on her own, he just knew it! If anything so much as breathed on his twin, there'd be hell to pay!

He sprinted after the girl, always in front of Sam. He whipped his gun out of his hiding place in his pants. He cocked it carefully, scanning the grounds for any nasties waiting to surprise him.

Him and Sam's feet hardly made a sound on the concrete, their hunter side roaring to life. Harriet's, on the other hand, clicked and clacked loudly, causing Dean to wince.

In the middle of the dewy meadow, Dean spotted the trench coat-wearing creep cradling his twin's limp body. Seeing her unmoving, something inside of him snapped. He saw red, rage taking over every part of his body. Raising his gun, he took two quick shots at the stranger. Both clipped him in the shoulder, but he didn't even flinch, his gaze remaining transfixed on his sister's slack face. What the heck? Even a demon would be screaming by now, those bullets were consecrated in holy water. Whatever it was, it wasn't something he was used to dealing with, and that made him fear for his twin's life.

Suddenly, she gasped as if she'd been holding her breath for too long, eyes fluttering open. "Cas?" He heard her breath, her emerald eyes taking in the stranger's face greedily. He nodded, then swept her up in his arms, lips against hers. She responded in kind, wrapping her arms tightly around him. It reminded him of the Sleeping Beauty movie she'd made him watch when they were younger.

Dean slowly lowered his gun, looking at Sam in confusion, muttering, "What the hell?"

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**keehee! i love that part. random kissing is always fun to write. more will come in time, so be patient!**


	10. Chapter 10

**here's the next bit, please let me know if it's any good, or if it's complete crap :(**

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Emma's mind burned, memories rushing at her and filling her brain.

_Playing with Dean in their backyard, shrieking and yelling as their parents watched from a far, laughing at their antics. They laughed like fiends as they searched the grass for bugs and other creepy crawlies to show their parents._

_Cradling__ her little brother, Sammy, her dad helping her support his head when she was only four. He had just been born and Katherine was terrified he'd break if she held him too tightly._

_Watching in horror as her mother burned on the ceiling as Sammy wailed in his cradle. _

_Raising Sammy with Dean as their dad grew colder and harsher. Helping him walk, and read and write, protecting him from the supernatural until he was eight and the truth came out. _

_Training and hunting with Dean. Once they were big enough to fire a shotgun, Dad had taken one of them on hunts with him (while the other stayed with Sammy) and made them train rigorously when they didn't have a job or school. Katherine loved it. Her aim was flawless, never failing to take down what she shot with a deadly accuracy that her Dad couldn't help but be impressed._

_Being wrenched away from her twin when she was only 15 and waking up in -_

Emma- Katherine frowned in pain as the memory washed over her, more detailed than any of the others. It was in high definition, each moment brought into horrible, vivid focus.

_Chains ripped through her palms and wrapped around her arms, stretching her shoulders tight. They snaked up her legs and through each thigh. Pulling tight and jerking her upright and spread-eagled in the air, taut as a bow string. Blood splattered at her feet and a scream ripped from her throat._

_"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A little Winchester present for me," a mocking voice said from behind her. _

_She froze at the sound of his voice, her face going dead white and her eyes growing bigger, pupils blowing wide with fear._

_The figure that had spoken sauntered around her, coming to a stop a few feet away. He looked normal, which seemed to make it so much worse. A man a bit older than her father stood before her, a sinister smile on his face. Thinning hair and a horrible Hawaiian shirt, he seemed so normal - except for the eyes. White eyes stared out at her from the demons face, ripping her walls down and exposing her in front of him. It continued, its tone oily and oddly accented. "I heard from a little yellow eyed birdie that you'd be coming. I wish I could've welcomed you better, I didn't get much notice." He sighed in disappointment. "Well, Katherine Marie Winchester. Let's get started shall we? I'm Alastair, Lucifer's Chief Torturer, and I'll be your guide today. And forever."_

_And a thorough guide he was. An education in pain began that wiped all thoughts from her mind. Time stretched on yet ceased to exist._

_"You know, I wonder why your family isn't here yet to save you, Katherine Marie." Alastair asked, pausing in his carving her like a thanksgiving turkey._

_Katherine's breath came in ragged, panting gasps. None of the rules of the mortal world seemed to apply here. She'd been torn apart only to be miraculously made whole again and again and again. Even her considerable pain tolerance was laughable in the face of Alastair's inventiveness. All the while he kept up a maddening stream of chatter, subjects that prodded at dark parts of her. It just added to her never-ending agony._

_"Oh, that's right," he said with a snap of his fingers. "They don't care. John has one less mouth to feed and life to worry about. Sam had one less sibling to compete for dear daddy's attention and Dean" Katherine flinched, "he's just relieved he doesn't have you hanging around him like a foul smell." Something in her fell apart right then, crumbled into dust and was carried away on a blood scented breeze._

_His hands wandered over her body, lurid and unwanted. Obscene suggestions and whispered threats filled her ears, his hot rancid breath beating down on her. He promised power and freedom if she'd just do one thing, one simple thing._

_"Get off the rack."_

_"No."_

_The knife slid in a few inches below her navel, the pain not surprising at this point. Alastair leaned in close, his eyes closed and a look of rapture on his face as he breathed in the smell of her blood. He opened them again so he could see her as he slid the blade up, slicing her open like he was filleting a fish. She would have screamed, but she choked on her own blood. Shaking and gasping, her mind was a foggy haze of pain and agony. He pressed himself up against her, long leathery tongue sweeping up her cheek before he pulled back and rammed his hands into her open stomach. _

_"Look at you, still pretty even when you're inside out," he chuckled, smiling down at the mess he was making on her insides. _

_Katherine's mind was lost in the fog of pain and horror as she heard the awful, sloppy plop of her innards landing at their feet._

_He had fun then, she could tell. Switching his features into the forms of her family, pulling forth her darkest, most buried fears about them. He wore them all flawlessly, like dark reflections of her family. After a while it was hard to remember it was Alastair. _

_Dad, complete with leather jacket and cold eyes that regarded her without recognition. Yelling at her, telling her it was her fault that Mary was dead. If she'd just been fast enough, she could've stopped it, saved her. Admitting that he'd always believed her to be the most useless of all his kids, since she was a girl. Dean and Sam would grow up to be big and strong, but her? She was the weak link, the unwanted one. Sam telling her that he'd never really liked her, just followed by Dean's example because he had always been his favorite sibling. How it was all Katherine's fault he'd never met his mom and that he'd never gotten the normal childhood he'd always wanted. That it was her fault Dad was so cold most of the time. It was all her fault he'd set out on this crusade against the yellow eyed demon._

_But, as always, Alastair saved the best for last._

_He wavered for a second in front of her, like the road during a scorching hot day, before solidifying into a person she hadn't seen in what felt like eons. Dark blond hair, green eyes, and a leather jacket. Dean Winchester stood in front of her wearing Alastair's signature smile. Humming Metallica in an achingly familiar tone as he twirled Alastair's razor and advanced on her._

_He stabbed viciously into her arm, dragging the blade down. She bit back a scream, tears flowing down her face. The only consolation Katherine had was she knew without a doubt that this wasn't Dean. Dean didn't hate her. He loved her more than he loved anything else, even more than Dad or Sam, because she never left him and didn't let him leave her. Her mind cleared as this epiphany washed over her._

_She gave Alastair a blood-filled smile and spat in his face. "Dean." She gasped. "Dean would never hurt me." Courage soared through her, scorching her tattered soul. "There's nothing in this world you can do to make me get off. This. Damn. Rack." She spoke each word slowly, deliberately. _

_Alastair's eyes narrowed, but he seemed to believe her. "Til next time, Katherine Marie. Enjoy losing memories!" Then her entire being was on fire._

Katherine woke like she was bursting out of Hell itself, bolting upright with wide eyes and sobbing breaths. Alastair's laugh echoed in her ears and the phantom taste of blood filled her mouth. A face swam into focus, a pair of beautiful blue eyes capturing her entire attention. "Cas?" She gasped, unbelieving that this was real, that he'd found her. He nodded once before sweeping her up in his arms, his soft laugh soothing her as he spun her around. They locked eyes before his lips were on hers, hungry. She smiled into his mouth as she wrapped her arms tightly around her, knotting her fingers in his hair.

"What the hell?" That voice made her cease in her devouring of Cas. He lowered slowly, sensing her need to see him. She turned slowly, her heart pounding.

There he stood, his handgun held loosely - but not too loosely - in his hand. He looked worn and hard, too much like their father for her liking. But those boyish freckles were still there, as were his large emerald eyes. He wore one of dad's leather jackets and it fit him well. There were worry lines creasing his face. He'd grown up well, a serious heart-breaker if she knew her twin at all. Her heart wrenched. Did she even know her twin? So much had time - eight fucking years - had passed since she'd seen 15-year-old Dean getting beaten by a pack of demons. Her throat constricted, but she managed a choked "Dean?"

And then she was running at top speed towards him. His eyes widened and filled with tears as he welcomed her into a bear hug. She breathed in his scent which hadn't changed. Car oil, gun powder, and leather. Home.

"Is it really you, Princess?" He whispered, pulling back and taking in her face, checking her face for any injuries of a sign of Emma. But she was long gone. Her memories remained, but Katherine knew who she really was. Seeing none, he hugged her again, burrowing his face in her long - why was it so goddamn long? - hair. She gripped the shoulders of his coat, tears quietly trickling down her cheeks.

"Yeah, Dean. It's me." He broke into a huge grin, some of the hardness leaving his eyes. Katherine couldn't help but grin back.

"Kat?" He sounded so much older than the ten-year-old she left behind, but somehow she knew it was him. Turning, she was engulfed in strong arms and lifted up and up and up until she was level with the chocolate brown puppy dog eyes and long hair.

"Sammy!" She laughed, throwing her arms around him. "God, it's good to see you. And damn, you're a freaking giant!" He laughed back and set her down. "Dean, what have you been feeding him?" She turned back to Dean, still reeling from the fact that this was real, that _they_ were real.

Katherine heard Cas approach, just as Dean and Sam whipped up their guns, hunter faces back in place. "Stay back." Dean snarled, putting a protective arm around his twin's waist. Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Guys, wait. You don't understand. He saved me. He gave me back my memories. This is Castiel, Cas, these are my boys, Dean and Sam." Neither party moved. Why did guys have to be so dumb? "When those demons snatched me, I dreamed of an angel: Castiel. I know you guys don't believe me, but it's true. Azazel, that's the yellow eyed demon, kept me in this dream-like state for a long time, and Cas kept me company. Then, then I woke up in…" I closed my eyes against the torrent of memories bashing at my skull like a caveman killing a saber tooth tiger.

"Hell." Sam breathed, lowering his gun. Dean's eyes filled with anguish, but he still refused to lower his weapon. "Why- why did Azazel, was it? Why did Azazel send you to hell?" Katherine shrugged, to overwhelmed to speak. Sam turned to face his brother. "C'mon Dean. After everything we've seen, you don't believe in angel's - in God?"

"Why should I?" Dean snapped back. "After everything we've had to do, why should I believe in any kind of god?" Katherine's heart ached for him.

"Please Dean. Trust me. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" She pleaded quietly in a broken voice.

Her tone caused Dean to lower his gun. "Then why are you kissing an angel?" He teased, trying to get her to smile again. Anything to get that broken look off her face. She blushed and looked down.

"After being around each other for so long it just sort of… happened." She said shyly, eyeing Castiel through her lashes. he took her hand in support.

A thought struck Dean. "Dude - dad. He still doesn't know you're back!" Katherine perked up at the sound of seeing her father again. "Oh crap, he doesn't know where we've been all day. He's gonna be so pissed."

"Until he sees Kat." Sam said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Katherine looked at Cas, saying "I'll see you soon, right?" Cas smiled and nodded. With a faint ruffling of wings, he was gone. She grinned up at her brothers. "I can't wait to see his face!"

"Oh my god." Katherine sighed. "I've missed you." She ran her hand lovingly across its glossy black surface, and smiled, her eyes tearing up. "I'm home." She whispered, sliding across the leather bench seats into the front seat of the Impala. Katherine breathed in the smell she'd missed so much.

"Wow - did you just talk to the car?" Sam asked, shaking his head fondly. She was just like Dean, her affection for the Impala a strange, but oddly comforting thing.

"Shut up, Sammy." The twins called out in unison from the front seat. Sam laughed. It was good to know that some things never changed.

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**there you go - please, please, please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**sorry this has taken so long, I've just been enjoying my break and basking in the sun and drinking the night away... *sighs***

**anywho, please enjoy (and review) also, this kinda short - don't get mad at me!**

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John Winchester was on the verge of panic. Both of his sons had been missing since the morning, and there wasn't a trace of them anywhere. Grisly images danced in his head of all the horrible things that could've happened to them. Demons, monsters, werewolves... the police?

He knew that Dean would never in a million years let anything happen to his younger brother, but that meant that he was willing to put his own life on the line to make sure that Sam stayed safe.

He was about to start his fifth call to Dean when he heard a knock at the door. Soft voices drifted through the cheap wood.

"I can't believe you forgot the room key." That was Sam.

"Quit your bitching, Dad's inside and will let us in." John rolled his eyes. Obviously, that was Dean.

"Boys! Knock it off or there will be bruises." That voice made John stop on his way to open the door. Who was that? He reached into his inside pocket, popping the lid on his canteen of holy water; you could never be too careful these days, especially with the Demon hot on his trail. He prayed that his sons hadn't been possessed or captured.

He yanked open the door, revealing his sons. A figure could be seen slightly behind them, shrouded in the shadow of Sam. "Dad, there's so much to tell you. We found-" Sam didn't even get to finish because his father had doused all three of the demons in holy water.

Not a single sizzle from any of them

"Seriously?" Dean spluttered, his face annoyed. He wiped water from his face and spat some from his mouth, a pissed expression on his face. "We're not demons. Seriously, you're as bad as Bobby, you know that?" John eyed Sam before looking at the person in the middle - his vision tunneled.

Her blonde hair - so much like Mary's - tumbled down her shoulders and all the way past her waist; the girl he knew barely tolerated keeping it at shoulder length. She stood a few inches shorter than Dean, and few behind him, like she was wary to come any closer. Her large emerald eyes welled with tears when she locked eyes with him. "Dad." She breathed.

John forgot all about safety and caution and threw himself at his daughter - his baby girl. He engulfed her in a tight hug, stroking her hair gently. He pulled back and cupped her face. She still had her splash of freckles across her nose, and her face had gotten tanner since he'd last seen her. God, he'd missed his little girl. "Katty" He whispered, reverting back to the nickname he and Mary had called her when she was only two. "You're really here." He gave her a once-over. "You're so beautiful." He said, awed by the young woman standing in front of him. "Your mother would be so proud." He choked out. A tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. There he was, the big bad hunter, crying in front of his children.

Katherine was crying too. "Oh Dad." She said into his leather jacket, burying her face in it. "I missed you so much." She broke down, leaning against him. It was so good to see the love shining in his eyes. She'd gotten too used to Alastair's mask of her father glaring at her with hatred.

Her brothers looked on, happy smiles on their faces. Their dad hadn't been the same since Katherine had been taken. She was his last connection to Mary, it seemed. She looked just like her when Mary was her age. Things would be better now that she was home. They had to be.

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**so sweet! *blows nose* daddy and daughter reunion! review if you like! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**gah- so sorry this took so long. my life's been really shitty, so it's been a struggle to get out of bed, let alone work on a fanfic. but here i am, adding a short little something-something.**

**WARNING: this is super short- sorry! :(**

**enjoy, even though this is so tiny i can't even call it a chapter! :|**

"You're with a what now?" John asked in shock, almost dropping his eggroll into his lap. His daughter rolled her eyes from where she sat across from him.

"An angel, and yes- they exist. His name's Castiel." Her face then took on a dreamy look that none of her boys liked. Dean coughed loudly, snapping his twin out of her daydreaming. She shot him a glare. "Anyways," she drawled, setting her annoyance aside as she picked at her broccoli beef, "I've got some info on the demon that killed Mom. Something that also has to do with me."

John instantly perked up, once again almost losing his cheap chinese take out into his lap. But his face didn't show surprise. It shown with fear.

"When I was in that in-between place, and when Cas- Castiel couldn't be with me, Azazel would natter on and on about how useful I'd be and once I was old enough, how I'd fulfill my 'true destiny' or whatever that means." Katherine noticed her father's face and stopped telling her tale. "Dad? What's wrong?"

John's head snapped up, meeting the the gazes of all his kids. He sighed and set down his carton of food; he'd lost his appetite. "I had an idea about what was going on, but now I know for sure what happened when you were taken." They all waited for him to continue. "From what Dean told me, one of the demons injected you with some red liquid before Dean was knocked out." The twin's nodded, remembering one of the worst nights of their lives. "I found the syringe underneath the bed later on and sent it to Bobby to see if he could find out what it was. A while later, he told me it was blood." Katherine wrinkled her nose. "He did some more digging and told me about several incantations related to blood injections. Some of them were downright wrong, but that's beside the point. One of them was a special type of possession ritual. If the victim was injected with demon blood and their aura was stripped, they'd become the perfect vessel for the worst thing in Hell: Lucifer."

Katherine's face paled. "Wha-what? Azazel using me to…" She trailed off, eyes losing their focus. Her brothers scowled, hating the vulnerable look on her face.

"That will never happen, Kat. He won't take you." Sam said confidently.

"We can take you to Bobby's safe house, nothing can get inside there. You'll be ok, Princess. We'll find a cure to this." Dean soothed, wrapping a protective arm around his twin's shaking shoulders.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." She whispered into his shirt. "I don't want to become a demon. I never wanted any of this."

"I won't let this happen, Princess." Dean vowed, although worry gnawed at his stomach. Hadn't his twin been through enough?

**stupid abrupt ending... let me know if this is any good! :D **

**ps: i love hearing compliments on my work (even if it's a lie- it just makes my day!)**


	13. Chapter 13

**ahhhh- i'm feeling so much inspiration right now- it's so great!**

**again short chapter, but i'm trying my best under the circumstances**

**special thanks to wolfenergy17 and Squidtastik for your reviews- they made my day! :D This chapter's for you guys! :)**

**read on, my peeps!**

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It was like they were escorting the President, the Winchester brothers were so serious. One walked in front of her, while the other circled around at a safe distance, scanning the surroundings. Katherine thought it was a bit over the top, but didn't protest. Outloud. She gripped a silver ax tightly; she preferred more intimate weapons.

It all turned out to be futile though - the Winchester family barely made it to the car when demons descended on them. They seemed to appear out of no where. Without thinking, Katherine's gun was out and firing - her hunter's instinct still sharp. "We need to get them away from civilians!" She heard John bark as he poured holy water on a demon that was attacking him with a gun. "Head for the woods and stay together!"

"Yes sir!" The siblings echoed. None of them liked leaving the fight, but what their father said was true. At any moment, a human could be used as a shield or as bait. They couldn't risk it. In a flash, the three Winchesters were tearing for the woods as fast as they could, their hard training since age seven coming in handy. Katherine heard crashing behind them and knew that her father was on their heels - along with the demons.

"Cas!" Katherine screamed as she stumbled into a clearing, her brothers flanking her. "Cas, I need you!" Less than a second later, Cas appeared, angel sword in hand, his face stony and ready for battle. If she wasn't about to die, Katherine would've admired his change of clothes and how well they fit on him: jeans and a tight gray tee.

It was a blur. Slash, roll, stab, repeat. Katherine fought harder than she had in a long time, and not just because she'd had her memories wiped. She was _not_ becoming Lucifer's sock puppet. Just as hope started to well in her chest that her family might make it out alive, she heard a savage yell.

"Stop!" The word rang out through the clearing, freezing Katherine mid-swing with her deadly ax. The blood drained from her face at what she saw.

Azazel had Dean pinned against a tree; blood ran down the side of his face. "Stop and come with me, or I'll twist your twin's neck like a bottle cap." He hissed, yellow eyes practically glowing with rage.

Katherine stood in indecision. She couldn't go with him, it would mean the end of the world. But this was _Dean,_ she couldn't let him die; he was her other half.

"I don't hear an answer." Azazel sang out. Deep lacerations cut into Dean's stomach. His screams brought tears to Katherine's eyes.

"No, please stop! I'll go with you, just stop!" She screamed, tears fully running down her face. She hated herself for letting them fall.

"No, Kat. Don't do it." Dean groaned. Azazel released him from the spell, sending him crashing to the grass.

"Deal." The demon purred.

Katherine stood stock still, knowing she had damned the world. The look in Dean's eyes cut deeper into her than any knife would. It was either him or the world, and she had chosen him. He'd always thought of himself as unworthy: unworthy of praise, unworthy of love, unworthy of anything… but he was wrong. He was brave. He was kind. He was the greatest big brother anyone could hope for. He was a hero who was willing to sacrifice himself to save strangers. He deserved to be saved, to live.

"Don't hesitate Dean." She choked out. "If you get the chance, kill me." Dean shook his head stubbornly. How could she expect him to be strong enough to do the thing that she herself couldn't? He needed her just as much as she needed him.

"How sweet, but unfortunately I'm on a tight schedule. Let's go, princess." Azazel's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Only Dean gets to call me that." Katherine ground out, arms shaking with rage. But she followed him anyway. Past her baby brother, past her father, past her lover, and past her twin. She paused, locking eyes with Dean. Twin pools of forest green mirrored her own agony perfectly. She smiled to herself. No matter what happened next, she knew she'd made the right choice.

Resisting the urge to claw out those yellow orbs, Katherine took Azazel's proffered hand.

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**dun dun dun!**

**keehee- i love cliffhangers! D *evil laugh***

**you know the deal: review if you like what you see. keep your mouth shut if you don't**


	14. Chapter 14

**hey guys- i'm back! and proud of myself for updating 3 DAYS IN A ROW! that must be record for me or something...**

**anywho- i absolutely LOVED the 2 reviews i got from Squidtastik (you're so on top of the ball!) and snn7b - they make me feel like my work is actually worth reading! :D**

**ok- so this chapter might be confusing, so let me know if you have any questions about what's going on. i won't give away my plans, but i'll clear things up for the poor lost souls**

**on with the show! :D**

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Azazel concentrated deeply, focusing his powers to the exact moment the girl took his hand. As soon as their skin made contact, he froze her in place. Leaving her standing there, arm still reaching for him, he turned and formed an invisible barrier between them and her family. "I thought you might like to see the show." He said with a sinister smile. Dean surged towards his twin, banging furiously against the barrier separating them, yelling unintelligible words. The angel frowned at the barrier, attempting to break past it using his Grace; Azazel knew he'd fail.

With a smirk, Azazel turned back to Katherine. This really was going to be his best work by far. To Katherine, it looked like she was in a grassy meadow, although they hadn't moved at all in reality. He snapped his fingers, and Katherine was reanimated.

Her family balked at what they saw. A purple glow surrounded Katherine, strong and vibrant and beautiful. "Her aura." John breathed out. His sons looked at him. "It's like her soul, what makes her good, what keeps her going. What makes her Katherine." He continued.

Katherine head whipped around, taking in her 'new scenery'. Two figures appeared on the horizon, small at first, but soon coming into shape. Katherine's heart skipped a beat when she recognized them.

Her mother, her beautiful, kind, mother was alive, walking hand-in-hand with her father. A happy light shone around them. John's eyes glowed with joy in a way she hadn't seen in a long time. "Mommy?" Katherine whispered. The happy smiles slipped from her parents' face, twisting into a sneer of disgust.

"Look at what our daughter's become. She's not even human anymore." John snarled. Katherine flinched back as if she'd been physically struck.

"I don't even consider her my daughter anymore." Mary hissed, recoiling like Katherine was a contagious disease.

"W-what? Mommy, what are you saying?" Katherine whispered, sounding much like the four year old she'd been when she'd last seen her mother. Unbeknownst to her, her real father was calling out to her desperately. But she was transfixed in horror as her parents turned their backs on her and walked away. "No! Please come back! Mommy! Daddy! Don't leave me!" She cried out to them. But they didn't waver. They didn't even look back.

Her family watched in surprise as the purple began to fade, dimming slowly. It all became horribly clear. The only way Azazel could control her was when her aura had been ripped away.

Sam soon came into sight, looking hard and worn. He looked older, sadder and there was a cold glint in his eye. "Sammy, are you alright?" Katherine called out, brushing away her own tears. She needed to be strong for her baby brother.

"No, no, no!" The real Sam called out, knowing what was coming next. "That's not me, Kat, you gotta know that's not me!" But she didn't turn towards him.

"Stay away from me!" The other Sam bellowed, raising a gun and cocking it in the same fluid motion. Katherine froze mid-step. "Y-you're not my sister. You're just a demon!" He spat out, eyes cold and empty. "I'll give you one chance. Stay the hell away from me, and I'll let you live. Just 'cause you look like her. But if you _ever _come near me, I will kill you." Katherine shook her head slowly, not believing what she was hearing.

"Sammy, it's me. Katherine Marie Winchester. I'm your sister!" She insisted, voice breaking. But Sam simply stumbled away. She took a few steps forward, desperate to make him understand. The crack of Sam's gun was deafening. Katherine looked down at the bullet that had torn through her chest and fell to her knees silently, tears pricking her eyes.

The real Sam yelled out in anger. "Katherine! Please Katherine, it wasn't me. It wasn't me." He watched in horror as tears of shock ran down his sister's face.

Sammy had just shot her. Her baby brother, whom she'd raised with Dean, shot her. A sob escaped her mouth. Her aura faded again, and instead of shining out all around her, it dimly outlined her body.

In a rush of feathers, Castiel appeared before Katherine, face blank, hands limp at his sides. "Cas, you have to help me. Please, I don't know what's going on. Sam- Sammy just shot me." She pleaded, voice rough.

"Do not talk to me. You have no right." Cas droned out, face still blank. "You are nothing to me."

"No, no Cas. Please, what's going on?" She cried out, stung. "Y-you would never say this to me!" She insisted, but doubt gnawed at her heart. Azazel was playing her insecurities: that she would never be good enough for Castiel.

"I should've known you wouldn't be able to handle it." He scowled at her.

Katherine whispered tearily "I love you."

Castiel turned away and looked briefly over his shoulder "And you're not good enough." He said cooly. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. The purple faded even more, until it was barely visible. Another sob escaped her lips, even though she tried to cover it with a hand.

The real Castiel's face contorted in pain, hating the fact that he couldn't help his love. Even if he used all of his Grace, Azazel's power was too great.

"We're almost there!" Azazel sang out gleefully. "Only one more left. Wanna guess who's next?"

"No." Dean whispered quietly. "No!" He repeated again, kicking the barrier in rage, his injuries forgotten.

Katherine saw her twin jogging towards her, concern shining in his eyes. She let out a sigh of relief. Dean was always there for her. He wouldn't leave her.

"Kat, are you alright?" He took in her teary face and bloodstained hands. "Oh my god, come here!" He inspected her wounds worriedly. "It's not that deep, you'll be okay. But Kat, what happened to you?"

"I- I don't know." She sobbed. "First Dad calls me a demon, then Sammy shoots me, and finally Cas breaks up with me. I don't know what's going on!"

"That son of a bitch! Cas broke up with you? Next time I see him, I'll rip those angel wings off!" Dean raged. Katherine smiled sadly. That was Dean, always looking out for her. "Don't worry about Dad, you know how he is sometimes, he'll bounce back. He always does. And I'll talk to Sam, make him see reason. It'll be okay, I promise." He wiped away one of her tears tenderly. "I'll always be on your side, princess." He said quietly, pulling her into another hug.

"I know." She breathed, inhaling the scent that was Dean that never ceased to calm her down: car oil, gun powder, and leather.

Suddenly, Dean was yanked from her grip and dragged a few yards away. Hellhounds. They sank their teeth into his flesh, tearing tortured screams from him as he attempted to break from their steel grip.

"Dean!" Katherine shrieked. "Dean!" She tried to run to him, only to find her arms shackled to the ground. She ripped at them viciously, ignoring the bruises blooming on her wrists. "Dean, no!" She screamed again, voice ragged by the force her cries. She screamed and screamed until blood coated her throat. Dean was being slowly ripped apart by the Hellhounds, and Katherine couldn't do anything to stop it. Her wrists were soon bloody and bruised by her efforts to get free.

On the other side of the barrier, Dean yelled for her in turn. The twins cried out to each other, but neither headed the other's call. "Please Kat, wake up! It's not real, come on Kat! Wake up! It's not real. I'm not dead, princess, I'M NOT DEAD!"

Soon the hounds stilled, leaving Dean's mangled body lying quietly in the grass. Blood stained the Hellhound's muzzles, their paws.

With a wail, Katherine fell to her knees, head bowed in complete sorrow. "Dean." She breathed before breaking into sobs that wracked her body forcefully. Her family was silent. There were no words to say for the scene that lay before them. Katherine knelt in the grass, unintelligible wailing tearing from her chest like a wild animal, her twin's body lying close, but not close enough.

After what felt like eternity for Dean, her bawling receded into weeping, weeping faded to soft whimpers, whimpers shuddered to a stop. Blank eyes stared at the grass, back hunched as if the weight of the sky was bearing down on them.

It was the final push. Katherine had just watched the one person that always had her back die. She wasn't able to save him and he was gone. Forever. Her family watched in horror as the last of her aura vanished, leaving only a hollow husk of Katherine Marie Winchester.

"No." Was all Dean could say.

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***bursts into tears* why did i do that? whyyyy?! (because it's fun!)**

**but yeah, so if this is confusing and weird- let me know! (but don't if you just want to tell me how sucky my work is- i don't like it very much)**

**love you all! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**AHHHHH! i know it's been so long and i'm so sorry for that fact! but goddamn i got some AMAZING reviews- you thank you Squidtastik, sunshine102897, snn7b, and wolfenergy17! (you made me so happy!)**

**okay- let's get this show on the road! :D**

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It felt like eons. Time stretched on and on and all Dean could do was watch. His twin sister still sat frozen, as still as a statue. His voice was practically shot he'd called to her so many times. Nothing.

Azazel grinned, flashing surprisingly white teeth at the Winchester boys. "And now for the finale." He said with an evil grin. Pulling a worn book out from his coat, he flipped through the pages, scanning them slowly, teasingly.

"Knock it off, you yellow-eyed bastard!" Dean roared, pounding furiously against the invisible barrier.

"All in good time, Deano. All in good time." After another few minutes. "Ah- here we go. Tu sia maladetta!" Katherine's head snapped up, her green eyes empty and unseeing. It broke her brother's hearts. "Tu non possa avere Un giorno di pace!" Her large green eyes stared straight at Dean, but they lacked their usual sparkle and affection that shone when she looked at her brother.

"Kat!" Dean yelled hoarsely. "Kat!"

Before his eyes, Katherine's pupil stretched out, little black tendrils covering the beautiful green that her family loved. Black eyes regarded her family emptily, black as a demon's.

"Rise." Azazel said silkily, extending a hand for his slave. With inhuman grace, Katherine rose, taking the demon's hand. Azazel turned, showing off his new 'toy.' "What do you think? I absolutely _love_ this look on her." He said with a sadistic grin, running a cold hand through her blonde tresses and resting it on Katherine's shoulder

"Don't touch her." A voice growled. But it wasn't Dean, although he readily agreed. Castiel stood tall and proud, his entire being glowing with his angel Grace and his angel sword drawn, ready to cut down the yellow eyed demon. It was a truly terrifying sight.

Despite this, all Azazel could do was laugh. Throwing his head back, he laughed long and loud and clear. Wiping his eyes, he returned his yellow gaze back to Castiel's blue one. "That was good. I really needed that." He sighed happily. "Even if you had enough power to fight me, which you don't, you wouldn't strike down your beloved Katherine, would you?"

Castiel deflated like a helium balloon. The demon was right. He couldn't hurt Katherine; she was all he had.

A condescending smile twisted the humanoid lips, turning it into something dark and sinister. "Well, I do believe the lady and I will be on our way, it really was good to see you boys. It's been too long." A dark chuckle escaped the demon as he turned away, dismissing them.

"Get the hell away from her, you yellow eyed bastard!" Dean roared, pounding against the barrier that was keeping him from saving his twin from his mother's murderer.

"I've had a change of heart." The demon purred, rounding back on his heel to face the Winchester boys and the heartbroken angel. "Why don't you come and say hi to your beloved sister." With a simple snap of his fingers, the invisible barrier keeping the family separated was gone and Dean was surging forward so quickly, it was easy to forget he'd almost been filleted alive.

"Kat! Princess, can you hear me? It's me, De-" But his concerned words we cut off by a swift and easy punch to the diaphragm, sending him flying backwards. Dean slid to a halt, gaping in shock as his heart shattered into millions of fractured shards.

Those dead black eyes gazed back at him emptily, but the horrid scene was becoming distorted from his tears. "Come on, princess. Snap out of it! It's me, Dean. I've never left you and I won't stop now. I've only just found you, please _please_ don't leave me again. I need you, Kat." He begged as he rose on shaking legs.

Slowly, like a fawn learning to walk, his twin walked towards him with the grace of a wild predator. He stood stock still. There was no way his twin would hurt him - their bond was too close for that.

But Sam could see the lethal fluidity of his sister's movements and before he even registered the danger he was moving as fast as his 'freakishly' long legs could carry him towards the threat: his own sister. With all the force he could muster, he attempted to knock her down. With the deadly grace of a killer, the former Katherine Marie Winchester pirouetted, her boot clad foot connected squarely with Sam's torso. If she felt his bones crack underneath her touch, she didn't show it. She simply turned to find the new threat, abandoning her baby brother as he gasped for breath, tears of shock running freely down his cheeks.

"Sam!" Dean bellowed in alarm, rocketing forward. "Kat- what have you done?" He gasped, kneeling down by his fallen brother's side.

"Dean." The youngest Winchester groaned. "Please tell me this is a dream." His eyes looked so young, so much like the five-year-old Dean used to tuck in at night.

Agonized green met chilling black. "Kat. Come back to me, please." Dean breathed brokenly, his voice so soft Sam had to strain to hear it. Their sister lurched forward, the movement unnatural, so inhuman it made bile rise up in Dean's throat.

A twisted smile curled at the corners of Katherine's mouth. Growing bigger and bigger until her entire face was contorted into the eerie grin; it would've put the Joker to shame. She lurched forward again. Gone was the lethal grace of the hunter. In its place was something so much more frightening: a sloppy, inhuman killer. It proved to her family how far Katherine had really gone - her dancer's grace replaced by savage brutality. The thing that had become his sister swung its leg in a deadly arc toward Dean's head.

The last thing Dean saw was that monster's leer marring his sister's beautiful face.

The last thing he thought was 'she really is gone.'

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**NOOOOO KATHERINE NOOOO! :(**

**why did i do that? (muh-ha-ha-ha!) D**

**let me know how you think my portrayal of poor, poor Katherine is (i'm not sure if it's creepy enough)**


	16. Chapter 16

**hey everyone!srry this has take me so long- graduation was a bitch and school sucks :P. But now that it's over, I'm back in buisness! Sadly, my computer went splat so I'm working off my nook rn (showshow dedicated I am!) But I promise I'll find a solution soon cause this will take too long to write on my crappy nook :P**

**Thanks so much to ****_wolfenergy17_****, ****_snn7b_****, and ****_squidtastik_****. You're comments made me beam, smile, and feel bad for taking so damn long with updating! Keep being awesome! I love you guys!**

**WARNING: horrifyingly short chapter :P**

"Dean Winchester." The monotone voice yanked Dean rudely from the bliss of oblivion. Memories of the past few hours hit him like a tidal wave. He snapped awake, lurching upright and smacking heads with the angel that had been hovering over him.

"Jesus Christ!" Dean moaned, clutching his throbbing noggin. It felt like he'd been hit by a truck.

"Enough with the blasphemes- we have work to do." The angel demanded, extending a hand for the fallen Winchester. With a grim look, Dean took it. Whether he liked it or not, Castiel was apart of Katherine's life. Katherine. Dean's stomach dropped and it took all the strength in his body to keep from throwing up. His poor, beautiful twin was nothing more than a hollow shell.

"You alright, Dean?" Sam's face swam into view.

All Dean did was grunt in reply, one hand still massaging his head. That angel's head was harder than stone.

"What are we gonna do?" His voice sounded so small, so young. Years were shaved away and Sam was back to being a frightened eight-year-old who was terrified of the dark. But there was no Kat to hold him in her arms and rock him to sleep, softly singing 'Hey Jude' by the Beatles. Years later Dean told him that's what Mom used to sing to both of them when they wend to bed.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do, Sam." John's defeated voice got Dean's full attention. His old man was slumped sadly in an armchair, dark bags rimming his tired eyes. He'd only just gotten his Katty back, only to have her taken from him again. It was killing him.

"What do you mean Dad? Of course we can save her. There's gotta be a way." Dean insisted, marching over to wear his beaten father slouched. They were back in the hotel room.

"I'm sorry, Dean. While you were out, Castiel and I hit the books. Hell, we even called Bobby for backup. The spell is irreversible. We've lost her." His last words tapered off into a choked sob.

Sam sucked in a quick breath as he ran shaking fingers through his hair. His caretaker, his rock, his best friend was gone. It seemed impossible.

"No." Dean insisted stubbornly. He would see his twin again. He'd make her smile, he'd see her happily married some day, he'd hold his nephew in his arms as she laughed at how stupid he looked, dammit- he'd grow old beside her. There wasn't any other option. "There has to be some way to bring her back. She can't be gone." His father- his hero -wouldn't look him in the eye. Dean shook his head in denial.

"The only way we can save her..." John trailed off, too overwhelmed with emotion to continue. Fate had been too cruel with the old Hunter; he'd lost his Katty, then he'd gotten her back briefly, only to lose her again. There wasn't much more he could take.

Cas' face was contorted with grief as he finished the oldest Winchester's sentence. "Is to put a bullet through her heart."

**see? Told you it was short. It really was just some filler for thebig finale coming up- I'll probs just add it to a bigger chapter when I'm finished w/ this little gem (gives me chills just thinking about it!) Ifeel like a crappy person for not interacting with my readers so imma gonna ask y'all a question which you can answer and then feel free to reply with one. It'll be fun- I promise!**

**First question: fav disney movie (and why)**


	17. Chapter 17

**hey guys- i'm back in buisness! so sorry this has taken me so long- stupid nook...**

**anywho, i'm happy to announce that i've offically completed this story! i just need to upload all the chapters. i have a question for you guys: should i post all of the chapters in the same day, or should i post a chapter every day? let me know when you finish this SHORT chapter in a comment or something and i'll do it**

**thank you reviewers! you guys are so good at posting something, i'm really impressed. wolfenergy17 and Squidtastik- YOU ROCK! (really guys, you should follow by their example)**

**let's get on with the chapter, shall we?**

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Dean's whole world began to crumble around him. "No." He whispered, voice ragged with grief and shock. "No- there has to be another way!" His green eyes desperately scanned the other's faces. John's head was buried in his hands as silent sobs wracked his frame. Sam was in shock, his face dead white and his chocolate brown eyes wide. He too, was shaking his head slowly. And the angel? Cas stood apart from the Winchester boys, his hands limp at his sides. He was the only one who made eye contact with Dean.

Dean hadn't ever met another angel before, but he couldn't imagine them feeling human emotion. How could they? They weren't human themselves. But the agony in Castiel's blue eyes tore Dean apart. In that exact moment, Dean accepted Castiel into the family because only family could look this way when one of their own was taken.

"You have no idea how much I wish this wasn't true." Castiel murmured, eyes still locked with Dean's. "But there isn't any other way to save Kat from this fate worse than death. You know this is what she'd want."

He nodded woodenly, still reeling from the news that he'd have to kill his twin sister, only days after just finding her again. That demon was going to pay, Dean would make sure of it.

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**soooo... what did you think? so sorry this was such a wimpy chapter- i needed some filler before the big stuff comes in. **

**are you glad that overprotective Dean has finally excepted Cas into the Winchester Clan? are you as sad as i am that they have to kill Kat? (BTW, you dont have to answer any of these questions- im just really bored :P )**


	18. Chapter 18

**so some people (wolfenergy17 and Squidastik) have already posted review on the latest chapter and have told me to post it all in one day- so that's what i'm doing. you two peeps are so good about reading my work and posting reviews, i'm so grateful to have readers like you guys.**

**here we go!**

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Armed to the teeth, the Winchester boys and an angel of the Lord set out to kill the only woman they all loved. Needless to say, the car ride was silent. For the first time in Dean's life, the sound of his Baby purring as they cruised along together didn't comfort him. All it did was fill him with thick, cold dread.

Using what Katherine called his 'sixth sense,' John found where Azazel and Katherine were. "An abandoned warehouse; how cliche." Dean grumbled as they pulled up to the decrepit building. He clenched his favorite sawed off tightly; he and Kat had made it together.

John joined him, hand gripping the Colt - the only weapon that could stop both Kat and Azazel. "Alright, we're gonna go in quickly, and silently. As soon as we take out Kat-" John broke off, overcome briefly. "Azazel will be weak. That's our chance to kill this son of a bitch once and for all. Dean, you and Castiel will burst in through the front. Sam and I will sneak in through the back. Got it?" John eyed his sons carefully.

"Yes sir." Was the immediate reply from Dean. He couldn't help it.

"Sam…" John said warningly. He didn't need to lose two children today. He wouldn't be able to take it.

"Yes, sir." Sam ground out, clearly not liking having to go back to his usual ways of following his father's every command like a good little soldier.

They fanned out, their steps silent in the tall, unmowed grass. For the first time in a long time, Dean was grateful for the extra training sessions Kat put both of them through when they were younger. His face closed off. Ironically, he was using the same technique she taught him to sneak in and kill her. He fought back tears; soldiers didn't cry.

Putting all his rage and grief into his kick, Dean busted down the door with only one try. "Knock, knock." He called out mockingly. "Where are you, you yellow eyed bastard! I've got a debt to settle."

"My, my, my, someone woke on the wrong side of the bed this morning." That voice. Rage consumed Dean as he swung around, gun raised to face the thing he hated most in the entire world.

Azazel slouched up against a beam, a sadistic smile twisting his features. Those hated yellow eyes glowed with evil glee as he took in the broken Dean Winchester. "You don't look so good, Dean. Has something happened to cause you this distress?" He tapered off with a chuckle that was far from human. He turned to look in the blackness behind him. "My dear, could you go and fetch John and Sam? I'm afraid they're trying to sneak up on us."

Dean's face paled as a shadowy figure walked up beside the yellow eyed demon. Kat's coal black eyes slid over him as if he was nothing, not even a blip on her radar. With snake-like movements, his twin did a graceful flip off of the dais where she and Azazel had been standing. His eyes followed her as she flew above his head, landing silently behind him and melting back into the shadows. "Kat!" He called out, voice cracking slightly. "KAT!"

"She won't reply, you know. She can't. You're Katherine Marie Winchester is gone forever, lost in the void of my demon. You will never see her again." He chuckled again, wiping his eyes as Dean's face crumpled in defeat. "You really thought you could save her, didn't you? Oh, that's adorable!" He lapsed into more crazed chuckles, yellow eyes brimming with more tears.

Before Dean could reply, a loud crash shook the warehouse dangerously. He whirled around, his brother's name on his lips when Sam came flying through the gloom, landing right on top of him. They both crashed to the ground, winded. John landed beside them, cradling what looked like a broken arm.

"Thank you, darling." Azazel purred. Katherine moved like liquid as she walked back to the demon's side. "Now." He said, clapping his hands together and rubbing his palms. "What shall we do with you three? Any thoughts, my dear?" He questioned, turning to face Katherine. Just as she was about to open her mouth, a voice rang out.

"You will not harm them." It there was ever a moment that Dean had ever doubted Cas' heritage, it was gone now. Bathed in the light from a hole in the roof, Castiel stood tall and proud, angel sword flashing menacingly. Dean could've sworn he saw a shadow of wings sprouting from Castiel's back.

"What a surprise, you brought the angel too. Why oh why didn't I see this coming?" Azazel clutched his head dramatically. "Oh wait- I did." His teeth flashed as the demon grinned smugly at the angel.

She crashed into her former lover at top speed, sending them tumbling into the darkness and out of Dean's sight; he hadn't even heard his twin move from her spot at Azazel's side. Said demon chuckled as he watched the spectacle of demon and angel duking it out. They exchanged blows that would've killed and normal person; Dean winced as Kat dished out a rib-breaking kick to Cas' diaphragm, following it quickly with a knee to the nose. The angel in turn grabbed Kat's leg and swung her into a support beam, her head smacking sickenly with the wood. Yet she stood like it was nothing and was at him again, relentless in her mission to end her lover.

"Dean!" At the sound of his name, he wrenched his gaze away from the intense fight to see his father waving the Colt at him with his good arm. Dean noticed with a grimace that Kat had broken their dad's right arm- his dominant arm. Smart girl, even when she's a demon, he thought bitterly. Dean snuck a glance at Azazel; the demon was too caught up in watching the fight to pay attention to them. "Catch!" His father hissed, lobbing the Colt across the five feet that separated him. Dean caught it with ease, staring at the gun in confusion. "It's up to you to save her now."

Dean's stomach dropped at the words. He shook his head mutely, overcome by the onslaught of emotions.

"Dammit Dean- you have to! For her!" His father's harsh words were like a slap in the face, brutal but effective. Rising carefully so to not alert his mother's murderer of his actions, Dean slipped into the shadows, treading lightly towards the brawlers.

Both looked worn, but ready to fight until the ends of the Earth. Considering Azazel's plan- they might just do that.

As Kat slammed Cas into a nearby wall, he locked eyes with the angel, raising the Colt so he could see. Cas nodded, pain in his eyes. Quick as a snake, Cas spun his lover around, arms encircling both her throat and waist, locking her against his body. Dean emerged from the shadows, the Colt shaking in his grasp; he'd never choked on a hunt before, he wasn't gonna start now- not with these kind of stakes.

Through the roar in his ears, Dean heard Azazel shout, but it meant nothing to him. "I'm sorry." He choked out, eyes welling. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop this from happening to you. I'm sorry that this is the only way I can free you. I love you, princess."

"Wait!" Cas called as Dean prepared himself for his grisly task. "To say goodbye." Was all he said. Dean looked at him like he'd sprouted two heads. Without another word, Cas raised a glowing hand and pressed it to Kat's temple.

A wave of power shout out from the point of contact, knocking all three of them off their feet. Dean quickly recovered, the Colt still in his hand. He pulled himself to his feet and watched as Kat did the same thing. Cas seemed to be in a comatose state, obviously recovering from such a feat.

She stared over at him, and her black eye flashed once, before turning back to their original color.

"Kat," he breathed. She was back, he knew it. He stepped towards her, but she held up her hand to halt him.

"Don't!" she choked out. "Don't come any closer!"

"But it's you- I know it's you!"

Tears welled in her green eyes, but they never fell. "Dean, I...I've seen horrible things. I've done horrible things." Her voice broke off in a shuddery whisper.

"No, princess, that wasn't you!"

She let out a loud sob. "He...he made me..."

"I know, sweetheart. But I've got you now. I saved you, and none of us had to die. You're free!"

"I'm not, I'm not free. I can't...In a minute I'll be gone again. Please, Dean, you have to save me."

He slowly looked down at the gun in his hand. With an aching heart, he lifted the gun and pointed it at Kat with a trembling hand. "But... I can't..."

Sweat trickled down his forehead, his t-shirt stuck to his shaking body, and the hand in which he held his gun was slippery. He needed to think. Fast. But how could he think when his world was crashing down around him? When his heart was shattering into tiny pieces? When everything he had worked so hard to protect, everything he loved, was quickly slipping away?

"Do it!"

He looked up sharply, eyes locking with Kat's, stood ten feet away. Too far. Always too far.

"Do it!" she pleaded, tears falling from her eyes. "Please! You have to do it!"

"I can't!" he yelled back, his voice hoarse.

"You have to! I can't...I can't hold back for much longer!"

"No! I'll fix you! I will, I promise. We just need to-"

"I'm not strong enough!"

"You are! You're stronger than anyone I've ever met!" Under any other circumstances, he would've hated admitting to his twin this fact, but that didn't matter now.

"Please!" she begged. "I don't wanna hurt them anymore." Her eyes, filled with so much pain, mirrored his own perfectly as she glanced to her left and right before looking back at him. "You have to do it. Now!"

"How can I?" he pleaded, tears falling freely from his eyes. "I can't! I...I love you, damn it!"

"They'll die if you don't!" she cried. "Oh God, please! I can't...don't let me kill them. Please! You have to. Please!"

Never, not in all the time he'd know her, had he heard her beg. Not for anything- not even when during an old hunt a vamp had her pinned to the wall after he'd dislocated her shoulder and broken both her arms. The vampire had gotten right in her personal space and told her if she'd beg for mercy, he'd make her death painless. She'd spat in his face. And now, to hear her pleading, begging... for this? It ripped him apart inside. But not nearly as much as the sound of the gun in his hand clicking as he cocked the trigger.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."

And with an anguished sob, Dean pulled the trigger and, aiming straight at Kat's heart, he shot.

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**ahhhhhhh! why would i do such a horrible thing? BECAUSE I CAN LOL**

**sorry- i was... i dont even know what i was doing**

**review within an hr or so and i'll post another one! :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**congratulations, snn7b, you just earned everyone another chapter today! be sure to say thank you, everyone! WARNING: this is probably the shortest chapter i've ever posted... sorry! :P now let's get cracking!**

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The sound of the Colt echoed throughout the warehouse. Azazel doubled over, an unfamiliar feeling coursing through him: pain.

Seeing his enemy's weakness, John whirled towards Dean. "Dean! Dean!" There was no reply from the hunched figure. "Sam- get the Colt." He barked, in full soldier mode.

His youngest stood transfixed, staring at the slumped form of his sister. "She's... she's..." was all he could get out of his mouth.

John's heart wrenched, but he refused to give in. Not yet. "I know son, but we need to finish this. For her. For Mary."

Sam nodded woodenly and went to his brother's side. "Dean?" he asked tentatively. When he finally got good look at Dean's face, his heart broke. His cheeks were stained with dirt and tears, his eyes were red rimmed, and his unfocused green gaze was locked on the broken form of his twin sister. It would've been better if he'd yelled, punched something, or sobbed his heart out. The Dean he knew was an explosive person. The shell of a person kneeling next to him was hollow- empty of any emotion at all. Pushing away his own tears, Sam grabbed the Colt from his brother's slack grip.

He risked a glance towards- no. He couldn't do it. Not now. Now there was a job to be done: his last ever hunt.

With strong strides he marched back to where Azazel's shaking form still stood. Yellow eyes met brown. "This is for my mom and my sister." Sam snarled. He pulled the trigger and didn't look back.

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**the Winchesters finally get their revenge against the yellow eyed bastard! but what happened to Kat? review to find out! :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**WHAT HAPPENED TO KAT? well read the chapter to find out, silly!**

**thank you Squidtastik- you just earned everyone the next chapter!**

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"No." The broken sigh reached Sam and John from where they knelt, checking on a stunned Dean. The oldest and the youngest turned in unison to see who'd made the heart-breaking sound. Castiel, broken and beaten crawled slowly towards the crumpled form of his love. "No, no, no." He whispered over and over. A shaking hand reached out and gently cupped her slack face; his thumb traced the curve of her cheek. Sam had to look away from the private seen as tears rolled down his face.

"No." This time the word came out differently. This time it was stronger, a steely resolve coating that simple word.

The angel scooched closer to Kat, his face set in stone. Placing one hand on top of another and lacing his fingers, Cas got into the classic CPR position. Sam felt his heart clench painfully. "Cas..." he said slowly. "You can't bring her back with CPR. You can't bring her back at all. She's- she's gone."

But Cas paid no attention to him. Hands glowing with his angel Grace, he shoved them against Kat's chest, right over her heart. "You will not die." He did it again. "We will get married." Again. "Have kids." Again. "I'll grow old beside you because goddammit, I love you." With hands glowing brighter than the sun, he shoved one more time and the effect was like an atomic bomb. All three Winchester men were knocked to the ground like bowling pins; none of them saw what happened to Cas or Kat.

Sam scrambled over towards his sister and the angel, heart in his throat. They lay next to each other, their faces peaceful, their chests rising and falling in perfect unison-

They were breathing. Both of them were breathing. "Kat!" he sounded more like a strangled cat than a person, but at this point, he didn't give two shits. He roughly shook her shoulder, desperately wanting this to be real, for her to be real.

Like a princess awaking from a curse, Kat's green eyes flickered open, locking with Sam's after a moment of wandering. A demure smile graced her features as she breathed. "Sammy."

"You're alive!" That was all the warning Kat got before her not so little brother tackled her. Their laughter bounced off the walls of the warehouse. Soon the hug turned into a vicouis tickle war, and it was like the years had been shaved off and Sam was ten again, playing with his best friend and sister.

"Katty?" The hushed whisper silenced the tussling siblings. With the help from Sam, Kat rose to her feet and walked towards her father. "Katty, is that really you?" A tear rolled down his cheek.

She nodded wordlessly, too overcome to speak. That was all it took. Suddenly she was up in the air and flying, flying like she'd done back when she was four and everything was alright in the world. After spinning her around a few more times, John set her back down, his broken arm making itself known with mind-searing pain. Kat's eyes locked onto the broken limb; her brow creased.

"Don't you even think about it- this isn't your fault." John said gruffly, lowering the offending limb as if he could hide it from her sight. She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. There was one more person she had to see.

She fell before him roughly, her knees protesting instantly. Empty green met tear-filled green, the exact shade, and yet so different. Her hands shook as she gently cupped his face, her hands snagging on his unshaven cheeks. "Dean." She whispered, so softly that Sam and John couldn't hear. "Dean, I'm okay. It's me, I'm here." She studied his face worriedly; there was no reaction. They sat there together for what felt like centuries, Kat staring intently at her twin. With trembling lips, she began to sing. "Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better." Her soft voice washed over them all as she cupped her twin's face. She licked her lips and started again, this time her voice was stronger. "Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better." As she finished the first line of their mother's favorite song, Kat leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her twin's forehead, just like Mary used to do every night.

John's eyes filled with tears- Kat looked so much like his beloved Mary. Sam felt his own eyes well up at the sight of the tender moment. Even though he'd never really met his mom, he'd managed to weasel out a few stories from his older siblings. Kat had been the one to tell him about this little ritual. "It was our moment- Mom's, Dean's, and mine. It was just the three of us" She'd told him, a fond, but said smile on her face. Sam felt the overpowering urge to look away; it was their moment after all.

"Princess?" A happy sob escaped Kat's mouth as Dean spoke. She nodded, eyes filling with tears of joy. "Oh my god." Dean's green gaze took in her face, finally comprehending that she was alive. With a laugh he swept her up in a bear hug, her feet dangling off the ground as he held her tight. She was back- everything was okay now. He hadn't lost his whole world. She gently combed his hair as he cried into her neck.

"It's okay to cry Dean. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She promised as he gently set her down. She wiped at her own wet eyes as she took in her beloved family. They were together again at last, all thanks to-

The blood vanished from her face as she looked past Sam's right shoulder and saw his prone form. "Cas, oh God. No." She breathed as she pushed passed her brothers to get to him. Kneeling in the filth of the warehouse, she took in his still face. "Please tell me you didn't. Not for me. Not like this." Her bottom lip trembled as she traced the shape of his face with her eyes. She let out a choked sob as she stroked his cheek. His warm cheek. Green eyes widened as she took in his chest rising and falling. Angels didn't breath- they didn't need to. Did that mean...

"Cas!" She called out to him as she shook him. A hopeful smile broke across her face at the sound of his groan. Angels certainly didn't groan. "Cas, wake up and see what's happened." She said, happy tears running freely down her cheeks.

Slowly, electric blue eyes cracked open and winced against the brightness of the sun. Why did the sun bother him? It never had before. Everything felt so solid... and why did his head hurt so much? Cas readied his Grace to heal himself- only to find nothing. Slightly worried now, he stretched out his wings- but they weren't there. Turning, he faced the Winchesters, and locked gazes with his love. "What's happened?" He breathed, brow furrowed in confusion.

"You did it for me, for us. You're human now." Kat beamed down at him, eager to see his reaction.

At first he was confused, then comprehension dawned on him, and a grin of his own stretched across his face. "I'm human." He breathed, voice full of wonder. "We can be together now?" He asked Kat uncertainty. All these emotions he'd never really felt before washed over him - joy, love, doubt, fear - things he'd never really known until now. What if Kat didn't want him anymore because he was human?

She giggled at his adorableness. "Til death do us part."

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**yay for happy endings! did you guys really think i'd end it with Kat staying dead? well, tbh i kinda wanted to end it that way, but some of you told me that happy endings were okay, so i changed my mind. i have to say i like this ending better than the one i had in mind. let me know if it was too sappy, or too stupid, okay? **

**also- THIS STORY ISN'T OVER YET! put in a review and i'll publish the *sob* last chapter of this story. i love you guys! :D**


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